Mu Chenxing waited under the teaching building.
As soon as Xia Weizhen appeared, he immediately sidled up, grabbed the other’s arm, and sniffed it.
A faint, fresh fragrance—not quite the same as his own.
Xia Weizhen: “…What are you doing?”
Mu Chenxing asked, “Does my body smell like anything?”
Xia Weizhen blinked, glanced around, pulled him aside, and whispered, “Didn’t you notice? You’re covered in Alpha pheromones.”
He pointed at himself. “We’ve both got a bit on us too, but it’s not too bad.”
Mu Chenxing sniffed his arm again. “Isn’t yours just laundry detergent?”
Xia Weizhen: “…”
He knocked Mu Chenxing on the head. “Did the pheromones fry your brain? Since when did detergent come with fragrances?”
Mu Chenxing: “…Is that not allowed?”
Xia Weizhen was speechless. “What if some ingredient triggers an Omega or Alpha and causes trouble? Who’s responsible then? Alliance law bans chemical synthetic fragrances anyway.”
Mu Chenxing: “…What about natural extracts?”
Xia Weizhen: “Those exist, but the Military Academy doesn’t allow them. Wait till you graduate—oh, even in the Military District, they’re not permitted.”
Mu Chenxing suddenly understood. He lifted his own arm and sniffed again. “So the smell on me is that Alpha’s scent?”
Xia Weizhen opened his wristband and ranted in their dorm group chat: “We’re done for. Xingxing’s side effects are getting worse—he’s regressed to an elementary school kid.”
Mu Chenxing: “…”
Sorry, lifesaver. Please bear with me.
He sniffed his arm once more—
A crisp, subtle fragrance, like it was laced with mint, faintly carrying a hint of whiskey.
Not bad, actually. Pretty nice.
Once Xia Weizhen finished venting to their dormmates and closed the Holo-Screen, he saw Mu Chenxing still sniffing and frowned. “If it bothers you, stop smelling it.”
Mu Chenxing: “Huh?”
Xia Weizhen: “Even we feel uncomfortable getting close to you. Alphas won’t come near you at all. Being surrounded by these pheromones must suck, right?” He tilted his head up, reached out, and patted Mu Chenxing’s head. “Poor kid.”
Mu Chenxing: “…I’m not uncomfortable.”
Xia Weizhen: “No need to act tough around us. Sigh, that damn Alpha!”
…I really wasn’t. But having a scapegoat is super convenient. Mu Chenxing silently accepted the “side effect” excuse.
“Tch, Xia Weizhen.” A slightly roguish voice came from behind them. “What kinda taste do you have?”
Xia Weizhen froze.
Mu Chenxing turned toward the sound and saw two tall Alphas approaching. The leader, a brown-haired young man, swept his gaze over Mu Chenxing before locking it back on Xia Weizhen.
“This your friend?” The brown-haired Alpha stared at Xia Weizhen.
Xia Weizhen grabbed Mu Chenxing. “Let’s go.”
But that Alpha strode forward. “Didn’t you smell it? The Omega next to you reeks like he shared the same Alpha as you—worse than you, even… Or do you like that kinda play?”
Xia Weizhen’s eyes reddened with anger. He whipped around and cursed, “Xu Zhicheng, are you sick? Smelling some pheromones and jumping to slander people? Don’t you ever run into anyone normally?”
“What pheromones stick just from a touch? And linger for days?” Xu Zhicheng sneered coldly. “Even without a Temporary Mark, pheromones this thick mean—”
“You like Wei Zhen, don’t you?” Mu Chenxing cut in suddenly.
Xu Zhicheng paused. The Alpha behind him grinned.
Mu Chenxing tsked. Nailed it.
Xu Zhicheng met Xia Weizhen’s shocked face and glared furiously at Mu Chenxing. “What the hell are you talking about?”
Mu Chenxing raised a brow with a smile. “Didn’t expect to see the ‘bully-who-likes-you’ trope straight out of elementary school even in college. Dude, you’re wasting that big frame—maybe share some nutrients with your brain instead.”
Xu Zhicheng: “！！”
His face flushed red. He glanced at Xia Weizhen, then glared at Mu Chenxing. “What the fuck are you joking about?! Me, like this crybaby?!”
Xia Weizhen fumed, “I wouldn’t like you either! Rude, no manners! Annoying jerk！！”
Xu Zhicheng’s face darkened.
He stepped forward, reaching out to grab him.
Xia Weizhen darted behind Mu Chenxing in a flash, poking his head out to yell, “Annoying jerk! Always cracking jokes about Omegas’ reputations. No manners! No class!”
Mu Chenxing casually extended an arm to shield him, staring down Xu Zhicheng—who was gritting his teeth a few steps away—and asked, “If you don’t like Wei Zhen, why do you care about the pheromones on him? Whose scent he’s got has nothing to do with you, right?”
Xu Zhicheng fumed, “He’s just a freshman, still a student—how can he be so promiscuous?!”
Not only did Xia Weizhen’s eyes turn red with rage, even Mu Chenxing laughed in anger. “You living seven thousand years ago or what? It’s 8028—promiscuous?”
Xu Zhicheng: “Got the guts to fool around with an Alpha, but not the guts to hear about it—”
“Shut it.” The Alpha behind Xu Zhicheng stepped up and held him back, then said to Mu Chenxing and Xia Weizhen, “He’s just got a loose mouth. Don’t mind him.”
Mu Chenxing: “…”
He sized them up with a scornful look. “Looks like you two aren’t much either. Heard you’re in Class F? Bottom of the barrel there too? Makes sense—spreading yellow rumors about fragile Omegas like us to feel relevant. Probably got no achievements in real life. Bet you’re the most useless Alphas in fights and brains in your year.”
“Yo, not even good in bed, huh?”
“Like an Omega but too scared to chase, just sniping at ones who might have someone? Are all Alphas as petty as you? We’re not kids anymore. Can’t stand seeing another Alpha’s scent on someone, so you spread rumors and snipe instead of pursuing? Some physical issue holding you back?”
His gaze slid downward. “Oh god, you can’t even get it up, or keep it going? That’s why you’re so insecure you won’t chase the Omega you like, huh?”
The barrage left the two Alphas dumbfounded.
Xia Weizhen’s eyes sparkled as he clapped wildly. “Yeah, yeah! Xingxing, you’re spot on!”
Xu Zhicheng finally snapped out of it, furious and humiliated, swinging a fist. “You little—”
“Zhicheng！！”
“Ah—”
The other Alpha tried to stop him; Xia Weizhen shrieked in fright.
The next second—bang! A thud echoed as someone hit the ground.
The Alpha’s outstretched hand hung in midair, frozen.
Xia Weizhen gaped. “Xingxing—”
Xu Zhicheng, sprawled on the ground, was stunned too, propping his head up with wide eyes. “You—”
Even the students pouring out of the teaching building after class stopped, staring in shock.
Mu Chenxing rolled his neck, shook out his limbs, bounced on his toes a couple times, then said to Xu Zhicheng still on the ground, “You snuck that attack, so I didn’t catch you off guard.”
He took a big step back with his right leg, fists clenched one forward one back in a fighting stance. “Come on, let’s throw down.”
“Xingxing!” Xia Weizhen tugged at him nervously. “Don’t be reckless—let’s go.”
Mu Chenxing pushed him back. “Don’t worry, I got this.”
He’d trained for days; the muscle soreness was gone, his reactions sharpened, his strength… A 1.81-meter young man—his grip wasn’t gonna be weak.
Xu Zhicheng was in Class F, a freshman too—the bottom tier. Perfect to test on.
“We’ll handle him today so he stops bullying you.”
Xia Weizhen bit his lip, anxious and scared. “You sure you got this?”
“Yeah.” Mu Chenxing pushed him further back.
Xu Zhicheng had climbed to his feet, staring at his own limbs in disbelief, then at Mu Chenxing. “How dare you hit me?”
Mu Chenxing snorted coldly. “You’re an Alpha laying hands on an Omega—I got no reason not to.”
Xu Zhicheng froze, glanced at the terrified Xia Weizhen, and gritted out, “I wasn’t gonna hit him, I just—”
“Just threaten him?” Mu Chenxing sneered. “With your fist?”
Xu Zhicheng: “…I wasn’t.”
“Doesn’t matter.” Mu Chenxing crooked a finger at him. “Come on, don’t chicken out.”
He gestured around. “Everyone’s watching. You wouldn’t lose to an Omega, right?”
Xu Zhicheng noticed too.
Not just watching—people were pointing and whispering.
The other Alpha yanked him back. “Don’t be dumb—hitting an Omega docks points.”
Mu Chenxing: “Hitting? Nah, we’re sparring—or can’t you control your basic strength as an Alpha? That useless? Or scared after I tossed you once?”
They couldn’t resist the taunt. Xu Zhicheng clenched his fist right away.
“Fine, I’ll show you what an Alpha can do.”
Mu Chenxing eyed his stance and relaxed inwardly.
Bang! He blocked the first punch—
Fuck!
This was Alpha strength?
No need to hold back, then.
Mu Chenxing focused, dodged the next punch swiftly, and counterattacked.
Every strike aimed for vitals—non-lethal, but it’d hurt like hell.
Xu Zhicheng took one hit, slowed by pain, then just kept eating punches. His swings and kicks got blocked every time.
Gasps rose around them, mixed with cheers and calls to stop.
After a flurry of rapid strikes, Mu Chenxing landed a kick that sent him sprawling, then stepped back, hands dropping.
Xia Weizhen rushed over. “Xingxing, you okay?”
“Wow! The Omega won!”
“Damn, which major’s this Omega from? Too badass!”
“No way, an Omega fighting an Alpha? And winning?!”
…
Under the crowd’s stares and chatter, Mu Chenxing hid his hands behind his back to nurse the pain, coolly saying, “No biggie. Dealing with an Alpha who’s all physique and no skill? Piece of cake.”
Xu Zhicheng scrambled up. “You little—”
“Enough.” The other Alpha held him down, whispering urgently, “Let’s go—patrol teachers’ll be here soon.”
Xu Zhicheng: “I haven’t—”
“Stop embarrassing yourself.” The Alpha dragged him off. “You lost to an Omega—sticking around just makes it worse.”
He hauled him away by force.
The crowd buzzed with discussion.
Mu Chenxing slung an arm around Xia Weizhen’s shoulders. “Let’s bounce.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Xia Weizhen grabbed him instead. “Hurry, patrol teachers are coming.”
Mu Chenxing had no clue what patrol teachers were, but he obediently let himself be dragged into a sprint.
Xia Weizhen panted as he rounded a few corners before stopping, looking back. “We won’t get dinged points, right—hey, what’s wrong with you?”
Mu Chenxing grimaced, leaning against him. “Where do I buy painkillers and bruise cream? My arms and legs feel broken.”
Good thing he’d blocked everything—if a hit had landed on his chest or gut, he’d be flat out.
Xia Weizhen: “…Weren’t you all badass earlier? You even laid out that Alpha Xu Zhicheng!”
Mu Chenxing pulled a bitter face. “Had to make him submit—can’t go howling in pain mid-fight, right? Everyone watching. Blood can be shed, but face cannot be lost.”
